The company is also skipping the X400 name and jumping straight from X300 to X500. That is likely because the number four is often avoided in China.
Vivo is going after video this time
Vivo Product Manager Han Boxiao says the X500 series will bring a major upgrade to mobile video. The Pro models will use a new Zeiss Super Dynamic main camera, built around a sensor made with Sony.
That sensor is called the BluePrint Guangyu 900. It has a 50MP resolution and a large 1/1.28-inch size. Vivo says it can reach up to 17EV of dynamic range, which should help keep more detail in bright and dark parts of a scene.
That sounds good for photos, but video is where things get more interesting.
The X500 Pro models can shoot 4K slow-motion video at 240fps. They also support 4K 120fps HDR recording with direct HDR output. Those are big numbers for a phone.
Of course, specs only tell us so much. I want to see how good that 4K 240fps footage looks before getting too excited.
Vivo wants to replace your gimbal
Stabilization is getting a big upgrade too. Vivo says the main camera has 3-degree OIS and CIPA 7.0 stabilization. The 3-degree system is being pushed as a key feature of the X500 Pro Max.
Here’s the thing, though. Calling phone stabilization “gimbal-level” is a big claim.
Modern flagship phones are already very good at keeping video smooth, but a real gimbal still has some clear benefits. If Vivo can get close without making you carry another device, that would be far more useful than another small jump in camera resolution.
A 200MP periscope may return
Vivo hasn’t revealed the full camera setup yet, but Digital Chat Station has added another piece to the puzzle. The X500 series is said to use the internal name “Thanos 500” and could keep the 200MP periscope camera from the X300 Ultra.
That camera uses a large custom HP0 sensor and a periscope lens. For now, though, this part remains a leak rather than an official Vivo spec.
We also don’t know the prices or when the X500 series will leave China. Still, I like Vivo’s focus here. Smartphone photos have become very good, even on cheaper phones. Video is where there is still more room to improve.
If Vivo can really combine 17EV dynamic range, 4K 240fps and strong stabilization in one phone, the X500 Pro Max could be one of the most interesting camera phones of 2026.
